Swiss-made ‘Air Force One’ jet ready for service

Pilatus Aircraft Ltd / Pilatus Aircraft Ltd

The government has received the locally produced Pilatus PC-24 jet plane that will transport the Swiss president and other members of the Federal Council.

President Ueli Maurer was present during the handover ceremony on Monday. The order was placed in 2014 and the new plane will replace the current one that is reaching the end of its service life.

Branded as a “Super Versatile Jet” by Pilatus, the PC-24 – which can carry 11 passengers and one pilot – has a short take-off distance (856 metres or 2,810 feet) and can use unpaved runways. It comes with a cargo door as standard and can reach speeds of 440 knots (815 km/h) with a range of 3,275km (2,035 miles).

The PC-24 is fully produced and assembled in Stans, Switzerland. However, some components like the engine (American-made Williams International engine) are sourced internationally. The list price (without additional options) is around $10 million (CHF9.97 million).

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The plane is readied for painting Keystone

An employee works on the plane exterior Keystone

Cables are laid out on large tables before installation into the PC-24 Keystone

Work on the airplane fuselage Keystone

Preparing for a paint job Keystone

A crane lifts the airplane wings into position Keystone

One of the two PC-24 engines Keystone

Pilatus says that about 500 jobs were created for the manufacture of the PC-24 Keystone

View into the factory hall of Pilatus Aircraft in Stans, central Switzerland Keystone

An employee prepares cables for their installation into the PC-24 Keystone

The PC-24 from behind Keystone

A PC-24 for Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor service, which offers medical services for rural areas Keystone

A dozen years in the making: a nearly-complete PC-24 Keystone

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